Tag Archives: CDC

One person dies by suicide in Kentucky about every 11 hours, making it the 11th leading cause of death overall, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Efforts to increase suicide prevention and awareness include many different things, but the Louisville Health Advisory Board (LHAB) is adding something new this year.

To try to bring suicides in the city down to zero, LHAB — of which Passport is a proud member — is offering suicide prevention training in more than 85 locations during National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 9-15) as part of its “Bold Moves Against Suicide Louisville” initiative.

“The concept is that any suicide that exists may be related to an opportunity to stop that suicide,” said Dr. Val Slayton, a member of the LHAB behavioral health committee. “And an important part of being able to stop suicide is by having individuals understand what to look for. And then how to intervene.”

The free 90-minute “Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR)” training is designed to teach people how to respond to someone in crisis and is taught much like CPR. It is designed to teach people how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, how to offer hope and how to get help and save a life.

To see where the classes are being offered, please go online to qprlou.org. If you or someone you know is in crisis, the national suicide prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255. The Crisis Text Line is also available 24/7 by texting HOME to 741741.

Despite warnings that e-cigarettes can be harmful, nearly 40 percent of Kentuckians age 18-45 have tried an e-cig, according to the latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP). In fact, Kentuckians with lower incomes also were about 74 percent more likely to have tried vaping than those with higher incomes.

“Research suggests that e-cigs may be a gateway to using other forms of tobacco, and they can be just as harmful,” Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, said in a news release. “They expose users to toxic chemicals, including nicotine, which long has been proven to be addictive and responsible for a wide range of health issues. E-cigs are simply not a safe alternative to smoking, especially for young adults and nonsmokers.”

KHIP also asked opinions about the safety of e-cigarettes. About three in 10 Kentucky adults thought e-cigs were safer than tobacco cigarettes, and 19 percent thought they were less safe. A much larger proportion – 45 percent – thought there was no difference in safety between the two.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report in December 2016 stating that the use of e-cigarettes by youth and young adults often leads to cigarette smoking, other tobacco use and nicotine addiction, with all the health dangers associated with nicotine addiction. The agency raised concerns that e-cig marketers have been using tactics that attract youth and young adults and said that the incidence of this age group trying e-cigs doubled from 2013 to 2014, the latest date for which data was available. The U.S. Surgeon General has called the rising use of e-cigarettes among young adults a “major public health problem.”

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH), which is part of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), has raised the flu level in the state from “regional” to “widespread,” which is the highest level of flu activity, indicating increased flu-like activity or flu outbreaks in at least half of the regions in the state.

“With widespread flu activity reported in Kentucky, now is a good time to protect yourself and your family by getting a flu shot”, DPH Commissioner Hiram C. Polk, Jr., M.D., said in a news release. “We urge anyone who hasn’t received a flu vaccine, particularly those at high risk for complications related to the flu, to check with local health departments or other providers.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends flu vaccine for all individuals six months of age and older. However, the nasal spray flu vaccine should not be used because it has been shown to be ineffective.

People who are strongly encouraged to receive the flu vaccine because they may be at higher risk for complications or negative consequences include:

Children age 6 months through 59 months

Women who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season

People age 50 or older

People with extreme obesity (Body Mass Index of 40 or greater)

People age 6 months and older with chronic health problems

Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

Household contacts (including children) and caregivers of children younger than age 5

Household contacts and caregivers or people who live with a person at high-risk for complications from the flu

Health care workers, including physicians, nurses, and other workers in inpatient and outpatient-care settings, medical emergency-response workers (e.g., paramedics and emergency medical technicians), employees of nursing home and long-term care facilities who have contact with patients or residents, and students in these professions who will have contact with patients

“You should also follow the advice your parents gave you to prevent flu and other illnesses that tend to circulate at this time of year – wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and stay home when you’re sick,” concluded CHFS Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Gilsson.

For more information on influenza or the availability of flu vaccine, please contact your local health department or visit http://healthalerts.ky.gov.

Once again, Kentucky ranks first for its adult smoking rates, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the report, Kentucky retook the top spot from West Virginia in 2015 with an adult smoking rate of 25.9 percent; West Virginia’s is 25.7 percent, followed closely by Arkansas at 24.9 percent.

Smoking rates have declined across the nation almost 28 percent since 2005, from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 15.1 percent in 2015, according to the report, which is based on the 2015 National Health Interview Survey. Kentucky’s smoking rates declined 10 percent in the same time frame, from 28.7 percent to 25.9 percent, according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a constant national poll conducted by the CDC.

“Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or one of every five deaths,” says the CDC.

The state’s high smoking rate also comes with a hefty price tag, as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids estimates Kentucky’s smoking-related health costs at $1.92 billion a year. The group ranks Kentucky 37th in protecting children from tobacco, and says 17 percent of its high school students smoke.

The overall U.S. mortality rate declined in the first quarter of this year, according to preliminary data from the National Center for Health Statistics, an arm of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The news came as a relief to researchers who had been taken aback by a rise in the nation’s death rate in 2015, an event that has happened only a few times in the past 25 years. Researchers believed the increase was due in part by a rise in fatal drug overdoses, which have been on the upswing since the 1990s.

“This is good news, given that there was an increase in mortality in 2015,” Andrew Fenelon, assistant professor of health administration at the University of Maryland, said in a New York Times article. “Maybe the 2015 increase was a quick blip, and the trend of decline will continue.”

The mortality rate — a measure of deaths per 100,000 people — is a key indicator of the health of the nation. It almost always declines, driven by improvements in medical care and healthier living through diet and exercise.

The data showed decreases for a number of illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, and others. The data is based on all death records received by the center as of June 19 and could still change.

Researchers have found that medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is more common in Kentucky than any other state, may offer some additional long-term benefits by discouraging children from risky behaviors.

“Treatment with ADHD medication made children less likely to suffer consequences of risky behaviors such as sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse during their teen years and injuries,” says a Princeton University news release.

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that Kentucky leads the nation in the percentage of children ages 4-17 with ADHD at 15 percent; the national percentage is 11 percent. Almost 70 percent of children who are diagnosed with ADHD are treated with medications, according to a Kentucky Health News article.

“ADHD is such a major issue, but no one seemed to be able to give a very definite answer to the long-term effect of the medication,” researcher Anna Chorniy said in the Princeton news release. “For our sample population, we were able to see everyone who had an ADHD diagnosis and track their health over time to identify any potential benefits of the medication or the lack of thereof.”

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) is warning Kentuckians, particularly pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant, to avoid traveling to areas of the world with active Zika virus transmission. The virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito.

“We strongly warn everyone – especially pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant – avoid traveling to countries where Zika virus is circulating,” Dr. Hiram Polk, DPH commissioner said in a news release. “With Kentuckians competing in and attending the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this summer, we must remain vigilant and take steps to protect ourselves. This includes being knowledgeable about where the virus is spreading, consulting with a healthcare provider, and following public health recommendations to avoid mosquito bites.”

For a full list of affected countries and regions from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please click here.

“If you are unsure about the presence of Zika in the area in which you are traveling, err on the side of caution. Use repellent and wear protective clothing to avoid mosquito bites,” Dr. Polk said. “Furthermore, travelers should continue these practices for three weeks upon returning home to avoid spreading Zika locally.”

Kentuckians planning international travel are particularly encouraged to consult the CDC’s Travelers’ Health Website for country-specific health information for travelers. A special link about Zika Travel Information is found on that site.

Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent infection and no specific antiviral treatment for Zika infection. Its most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, although many infected individuals have no symptoms at all.

For further information, click here to visit the DPH website. Zika virus awareness and prevention Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are available online by clicking here.

A report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Center for National Health Statistics shows that births to teen mothers in the U.S. is now at the lowest rate since tracking began.

The rate declined by 8% from 2014 to 2015, and now sits at 22.3 births per 1,000 mothers ages 15 to 19. Birth certificate data showed about 230,000 teen births last year, compared with almost 645,000 in 1970.

The report also showed that the birth rate for women in their early 20s declined to 76.9 births per 1,000 women, and the rate for women in their late 20s declined to 104.3 births, both record lows. Meanwhile, birth rates for women in their 30s and early 40s increased in 2015.

A preliminary report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 220 counties in the United States as being most vulnerable to outbreaks of HIV and hepatitis C among those who inject drugs in those communities, and 54 of those counties are in Kentucky.

Kentucky leads the nation in the rate of acute hepatitis C, with 4.1 cases for every 100,000 residents, more than six times the national average, according to the CDC.

“Both HIV and hepatitis C can be transmitted when people who inject drugs share their needles,” Doug Hogan, acting communications director for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in an e-mail to Kentucky Health News. “Many of Kentucky’s HCV cases are among rural youth, ages 12-29, who have been sharing needles.”

The Kentucky counties that are in the top 10 nationally based on their vulnerability to the rapid spread of HIV and hepatitis C among people who inject drugs are: Wolfe (1st), Breathitt (3rd), Perry (4th), Clay (5th), Bell (6th), Leslie (8th), Knox (9th), and Floyd (10th).

Researchers looked at all 3,143 U.S. counties and based their rankings on six variables: the number of overdose deaths, per-capita-income, unemployment, population studies, prescription opioid sales, and prescription sales for opioid treatments such as buprenorphine. The report points out that this does not mean that HIV or hepatitis C outbreaks are inevitable in these counties, or that there is a current problem with intravenous drug users in these counties, but says that intravenous drug users in these counties are at a higher risk.

As part of its “Tips From Former Smokers” campaign, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a set of resources for mental health professionals to help their patients fight tobacco use and quit smoking.

Studies show that people with mental health conditions are more likely to smoke than those who don’t, according to the CDC website. They suggest that primary care providers (PCPs) and mental health care providers should routinely screen patients for tobacco use and offer evidence-based smoking cessation treatments.

To help them with these conversations, the CDC has provided a set of documents and resources to help explain how mental health care professionals can get involved and support their patients, offers suggestions about how to conduct a brief tobacco intervention, shares important reasons to quit smoking, and more. These are available online by clicking here.

Friday September 27th,10:00 am-11:00 am

Thursday September 26th,12:00 pm-1:00 pm

The Healthy Lifestyle series is offered to JCTC students and will be held @HUB. Passport Health Plan’s Health Education Manager, Lisa Bellafato, and Behavioral Health Operation Manager, Eric Russ, will be onsite GET MORE INFO

Monday August 19th,12:00 pm-6:00 pm

Monday August 19th,5:00 pm-7:00 pm

BTS for college students. A Passport Representative will be onsite to provide information, answer questions, and hand out supplies. Location: Campbellsville University Student Center; Campbellsville, KY 42718

Saturday August 17th,11:00 am-12:00 pm

Monday August 12th,10:00 pm-2:00 pm

Free resource Fair for the Johnson County area- resources focused on insurance and local basic needs resources. A Passport representative will be onsite to provide information and answer questions. Location: 625 Main GET MORE INFO

Sunday August 11th,11:00 am-12:00 pm

Saturday August 10th,10:00 am-1:00 pm

Students have opportunity to receive free school and health supplies All of the back-to-school events are free and open to the public. Students must be accompanied by an adult to receive supplies, GET MORE INFO

Saturday August 10th,8:00 am-11:00 am

Event to allow families to collect community resources and pick up free school supplies. A Passport Representative will be onsite to provide information and answer questions. Location: 501 Philadelphia St; Covington, KY GET MORE INFO

Monday August 5th,4:30 pm-6:30 pm

Saturday August 3rd,9:00 am-11:30 am

A Back to School Event sponsored by the Medical Center for Franklin County students. The event will provide resources and information to participants; Passport Representative onsite to provide information and answer questions. GET MORE INFO

Saturday August 3rd,2:00 pm-5:00 pm

Saturday August 3rd,9:00 am-12:00 pm

Students have opportunity to receive free school and health supplies All of the back-to-school events are free and open to the public. Students must be accompanied by an adult to receive supplies, GET MORE INFO

Saturday August 3rd,9:00 am-12:30 pm

This event is for children and youth who attend Fayette County Public Schools. Back to school supplies giveaway , children’s activities. Education and Community Resources; Passport Representative onsite to provide information and GET MORE INFO

Thursday August 1st,5:00 pm-7:00 pm

A Back to School Event for Park City Elementary School students. The event will provide resources and information to participants. Passport Representative onsite to provide information and answer questions. Location: Park City GET MORE INFO

Thursday August 1st,9:00 am-11:00 am

A Back to School Event for Caverna Schools P -12th grade at the Cave City Convention Center. Passport Representative will be onsite to provide resources and information to participants. Location: 418 Mammoth GET MORE INFO

Thursday August 1st,5:00 pm-8:00 pm

A Passport Representative will be handing out resource info to the parents and students to get school supplies and resources. This is in Central time. Location: Greensburg High School 302 Brummal Ave; GET MORE INFO

Friday June 7th,10:30 am-12:30 pm

Saturday June 1st,11:00 am-8:00 pm

Location: 1080 Amphitheater Rd; Louisville, KY 40214 This Free all-day celebration of Music, Food, and Family activities invites everyone to be part of the beautiful diversity of Louisville will be held at GET MORE INFO